On the 12th of April in 2013, Jonathan ‘Loda’ Berg made his debut after joining Alliance. 1878 days later, it is with a heavy heart we announce that Jonathan has decided to step down from the active Dota 2 roster, and will instead take on the role of the team’s coach. After careful consideration, Jonathan made the decision that it was time to hand over the torch to the new aspiring generation of champions. With his departure from the squad, we also say goodbye to the remaining member of our The International 2013 dynasty, the team that did the impossible and has since then shaped Alliance and all its operations. This is the legacy of Alliance and has always been our compass for the future. For five years, Jonathan has worked on Alliance’s legacy as a player - five years of wins and losses; ups and downs; laughs as well as heartbreaks. Now is the time for Jonathan to continue his hard work in a new manner. We are confident he will bring forth the full potential of our young squad and support them in their progress to reach heights of a never before seen Alliance Dota 2 team.

As this will also be the conclusion of Jonathan’s career as a competitive player, he wishes to express the tremendous gratitude and appreciation he feels towards the gaming community and his fans.

So here we are. A day that I feared for a long time, but now that it’s here, it feels right. Over the course of the last two years, I have been walking on uncharted ground, and I would lie if I said it has not been a struggle. Being an owner of a team might seem like a dream, and it is in many ways, but it has also been challenging. It is for sure one of the reasons I am stepping down.

To be the best, you need to do everything in your power to win. You need to eat, sleep and dream Dota 2. It is not necessarily the amount of hours you play but it is about having determination and perseverance to stay focused on the goal.

About a month ago I knew we were not progressing in the speed we were aiming for and that the team needed a change. I questioned everyone’s commitment and our dedication to make every effort to improve as a player and as a team. I asked myself the same question and I felt I was not quick enough to say yes.

It is ironic how last year I still wanted to play, but had to take a break to be reminded why I even did esports to begin with. This year I know why. Now I know where I want to be. Where I belong. Truth be told I realised sometime last year that if I do not stay, the organisation might disappear. In many ways I am Alliance. I did not dare to admit that, but now I do.

Alliance was always about the dream, the dream of achieving the impossible and the journey to get there. My journey as a competitive player is now at its end and I feel very content. In many ways, I feel like my time in Dota 2 was always on borrowed time, that my peak was in the original DotA, everything that came after was a bonus.
I always knew the Aegis would be mine one day, there was never a doubt in my mind, but I never planned much further than that. :) For a while now, I have been chasing that inner fire and hunger I felt then. It has returned sporadically but never to stay completely. No matter results I am happy and proud that we have created something new with this team. And with me leaving the squad, they do no longer have to stand in the shadow of Alliance’s past results, they are the new generation of players and will write their own story.

The remaining players have picked Maximilian ‘Qojqva’ Broecker to complete the lineup. Both Michael ‘miCKe’ Vu and Aydin ‘iNSaNiA’ Sarkohi have played with Maximilian back in Tuho and he should have an easy time to adjust to the team.

I will step in as the team’s coach effective immediately and will join the rest of the players at bootcamp to prepare for open qualifiers for The International 2018. I am confident that we can rise again.

I will always play Dota, and it is likely that I will play in an open tournament in the future. But I am not going back to being a pro player. However, this is not the end of my time in Alliance I will remain and die with Alliance, I know that now.

It has been a great ride.

Most of all I will miss the good times, the struggle to make it in the early days esports; to make a name for myself and striving to be authentic; SF, Tiny and CK; The first time I went to China; The honor of being named a God.

T_T, MYM, SK, TLT, Fnatic, Zenith, No TideHunter and Alliance.

S4, EGM, Bulldog and Akke we made this… ;)

Also a special thank you to Kelly; You were there from the start. You were the one who first introduced me to a certain Alex Garfield, who supported us in making the team that would later become Alliance. We focused on the game, and you focused on the fans :) Without you, Alliance would not be here today, that is a fact.

Alliance wishes Maximilian a warm welcome to the team. The squad is travelling to Gothenburg, Sweden for an extensive boot camp in preparation for The International 2018 Open Qualifiers. #LongLiveAlliance